Clamp and buckle for joining webbing.



Patented sep@ 22,1908.

i ll i i BRICK ii. ERICKSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. I* 5 vCLAMP AND BUCKLE lFOR JOINDT G WEBBING.

specification of Lettsratenmalgijeaspt. 22, i908..

Application led. April 25, 1907. Serial No. 370,318.

T o all whom it 'may concern: Beit known that I, Eiiieit H. ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new-and useful Improvements in Clamps and Buckles for Joining "i'felibing, of which the following is a. specilication.

.`\l`v inventioir-rclates to devices lor clamping and joining the ends of strips ol webbing and especially the elastic and inelastic webbing used in supporters for artificial limbs. 'l'lie principal object of the invention is to provide practical devices in substitution for the customary linien formed by sewing with thread. h

.\i v improvements comprise clamping niembers and also devices which serve in the inanner of buckles.

.n v impro\ einents are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichligure l is a front elevation of portions ol an artificial limb supporter connected by my improved clamp and buckle; Fig. 2 is an elevation of such supporter showing my devices applied in another'way; Fig. 3 is an enlarged ew ofthe cla-mp and buckle of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line w-ui of Fig. 3 g Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the clamp shown at the lower portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section of the same on the line :cf-:c of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the clamp shown at the middle of Fig. 2 and F ig. S is a sectional view of the same on the line 2*-3 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings `1 and 2 designate portions of the inelastic shoulder straps of' asu porter for an artificial limb; 3 the loops at t ie ends of these straps; 4 the cord extending through the loops 3; and 5 the leather or ot-lier strap for ad justably and detachably connecting the shoulder straps` with the. strap 6 of elastic webbing that is attached by means of thc leather straps 7 to the artificial limb.v

For connecting the 'leather strap 5 to the elastic. strip (i I provide the combined buckle and clamp S. The device S comprises a front portion 9 with a stud or tongue 1() for engaging in a. hole 1l in the strap 5, and the body 9 also provided in its outer portion with a transverse slot 12 to receive the end of the strap 5 and a bridge or cross-bar 13 for holding the strap end down to engagement with the stud; and comprises also an independentback member 14 which is shorter than the front member, and has its front enti 15 bent inward toward the latter. Each of these members has a flange, 16 and 1T, respectively, extending toward the other along Aone edge, and both members have their inner surfaces roughened, as by corrugations` or teeth 1S, for firmly engaging the strip of elastic webbing n; and the two members are Aclamped to the strip by screws 1S). The adjacentor lower ends 2U of both plates are beveled to afford a smooth joint with the strap. l'fhen the two plates are clamped b v the screws to the elastic strip 6 the llanges 15 and 17 cover the edges of the strip and the flange or bend 15 covers its end. 'l` he other end of the strap 6 is attached to the two leather straps 7 by a clamping device 2l formed of two corresponding flat plates 22 and 23 provided with serrations 18 on the.

portions that clamp the webbing strip 6, and are clamped to the strip b v screws 24. The

projecting lower' portions 25 are clamped to the respective straps 7 by screws 26. The` plates :22 and 23, respectively, have side flaiwes '27 and 2S for mclosin' the edge-s of C D x.

the straps 6 and 7, and have their ends 29 g beveled to provide smooth surfaces.

In Fig. 2 is shown a single shoulder stmp consisting of a body portion composed of inelastic fabric 30, and an elastic end portion 31. The lower ends of the strap are provided ivith combined clamps and buckles S like those above described. The body strip 30 is united to the elastic portion 31 b v s. elam i 32, composed of plates 33 and 34 provided with sei-rations 18 and flanges 27 and 2S, like those above described, and the plates are clamped to the ends of the webbing by screws 26.

The advantage in using the clamping devices S, 21, and 32 is in increasing t 1e dumbility of the elastic straps and in making a better and more readily adj usted union of the elastic and non-elastic. portions of the straps. I-lei'etofore it has been customary to unite these parts b v sewing; but this has been` found objectionable inv that it cuts portions of the rubber and thus injuriousl)r affects the elasticity of the strap, and the threads used in sewing usuallygive way before other parts of the supporter are worn out and it is then a diflicult mattei' to properly again imite the parted straps- But in employing the clam ing devices described ,there is no material injury to the rubber and'tl-ie clamps can be readily placed and removed and adjusted b v operating the screws.

gam.

Thile I have referred to my improvement-s as used in connection with the straps of artilonger plate, the latter having its front end bent outward and providing a slot for receiving a strap and a tongue projecting outward for engaging said strap, and screws for clamping the adjacent bodies of the pla-tes to lthe end of the other strap, substantially as set fort-h.

In testimony whereof I haYcKsigned my naine to this .specification in the "presence of two subscribing itnesses this 20th day-of April, 1907. I

ERIC-K II. ERICKSON. llitnesses:- l

P. H. GUNCKEL, H. A. BowMAX. 

